Part 4
664. The assurance of our salvation and pardon of sin primarily arises from the witness of the Spirit of God that we are the children of God ; and the Spirit never witnesses this till we are believers, for we are sons by faith in Christ Jesus. Therefore, assurance is not faith, but follows it, as the effect follows the cause.
665. Believer, if you do not bear with the infirmities of the weak, who shall? who will? This wicked world cannot, and will not. The world will make them transgressors for a word, and will watch for their halting; and, therefore, you had need to bear with them so much the more. The world's cruelty should stir up your compassion.
666. Of all graces, faith is the root grace, and if this die, you will find your graces languish. Your hope, love, fear, patience, humility, joy, can never outlive your faith; they live together and they die together.
667. Oh, the power of private prayer! it hath a kind of omnipotency in it, it takes God captive, it holds him as a prisoner, it binds the
hands of the Almighty, yea, it will ring a mercy, a blessing out of the hand of Heaven itself.
668. The, lives of ministers oftentimes convince more strongly than their words; their tongues may persuade, but their lives command.
669. A humble soul can rejoice in the grace and gracious* actions of others, as well as in its own. But proud sou's will be still casting contempt and disgrace upon those excellencies in others that they want in themselves.
670. The fountain has not the less water for the vessel it fills, nor the sun the less light for that it gives forth to the stars; so the Lord Jesus Christ has never a whit the less for what he gives forth unto his saints.
671. Chrysostom calls humility the root, mother, nurse, foundation and band of all virtue. Basil calls it the storehouse and treasury of all good. What is the scandal and reproach of religion at this day? Nothing more than the pride of professors.
672. A humble soul is often looking over the wrongs and injuries that he has done to God, and the sweet and tender carriage of God toward him, notwithstanding those griefs and injuries; and this wins him, and works him to be more willing and ready to bear and forgive wrongs than to revenge them.
673. Though the joint prayers of the people of God together were often obstructed and hindered in the times of the ten persecutions, yet they were never able to obstruct or hinder private prayer. When men and devils have done their worst, every Christian will be able to maintain his private trade with heaven.
674. Sotomen reports, that the devout life of a poor captive Christian woman made a king and all his family embrace the faith of Jesus Christ. Good works convince more than miracles themselves.
675. Christ choosing solitude for private prayer, doth not only hint to us the danger of distraction and deviation of thoughts in prayer, but how necessary it is for us to choose the most convenient places we can for private prayer. Our own fickleness and Satan's restlessness call upon us to get into such places where we may freely pour out our soul into the bosom of God (Mark 1:85).
676. A humble heart cannot be satisfied with so much grace as will bring it to glory, with so much of heaven as will keep it from dropping into hell; it is still crying out, "Give, Lord, give; give me more of thyself, more of thy Son, more of thy Spirit; give me more light, more life, more love."
677. He who will not improve two talents, shall never have the honor to be trusted with five; but he who improves a little, shall be trusted with much.
678. God is never better pleased than when his people importune him in his own words, and urge Him with arguments taken from his own promises.
679. Certainly, the very soul of prayer lies in the pouring out of a man's soul before the Lord, though it be but in sighs, groans, and tears. One sigh and groan from a broken heart is better pleasing to God than all human eloquence.
680. The humble soul knows that God out of Christ is incommunicable, that God out of Christ is incomprehensible, that God out of Christ is very terrible, and that God out of Christ is inaccessible; and, therefore, he always brings Christ with him, presents all his requests in his name, and so prevails.
681. Christ frequently joins praying and preaching together; and those whom Christ hath joined together, let no man presume to put asunder (Luke 22:89, 41, 44, 45).
682. Suffering times are sealing times. The primitive Christians found them so, and the suffering saints in Mary's days found them so. When the furnace is seven times hotter than ordinary, the Spirit of the Lord comes and seals *up a man's pardon in his bosom, his peace with God, and his title to heaven. Blessed Bradford looked upon his sufferings as an evidence to him that he was on the right way to heaven.
683. Though there is nothing more dangerous, yet there is nothing more ordinary, than for weak saints to make their sense and feeling the judge of their condition. Now, this is dishonorable to God, and very disadvantageous to the soul. Sense is sometimes opposite to reason, but always to faith; we must, therefore, strive to walk by faith, (2 Corinthians 5:7.)
684. There is oftentimes greatest danger to our bodies in the least diseases that hang upon us, because we are apt to make light of them, and to neglect the timely use of means for removing them, till they are grown so strong that they prove mortal to us. So there is most danger often in the least sins. If the serpent wind in his head, he will draw in his whole body after.
685. Though none of the people of God have the Spirit in this life in perfection, yet every Christian hath so much of the Spirit as will bring him to Christ, and enable him to reach heaven safely at last.
686. The more our gifts and graces are exercised, the more they are strengthened and increased. All acts strengthen habits.
687. Luther professeth, "That he profited more in the knowledge of the Scripture by private prayer in a short time, than he did by study in a longer space."
688. Caesar in warlike matters, minded more what was to conquer than what was conquered; what was to gain, than what was gained; so does a humble soul mind more what he should be, than what he is; what is to be done, than what is already accomplished.
689. Temptation is God's school, wherein he gives his people the clearest and sweetest discoveries of his love; a school wherein God teaches his people to be more frequently and fervent in duty; a school wherein God teaches his people to be more tender, meek, and compassionate to other poor, tempted souls than ever; a school wherein God teaches his people to see a greater evil in sin than ever, and a greater emptiness in the creature than ever, and a greater need of
690. Christ and free grace than ever; a school wherein God will teach his people that all temptations are but his goldsmiths, by which he will try and refine, and make his people more bright and glorious.
691. Oh, Christians I God loses much, and you lose much, and Satan gains much, by this, that you do not walk lovingly together. It is your sin and shame that you do not pray together, and hear together, and confer together, and mourn together, because that in some far less things you are not agreed together. You will not do many things you may do, because you cannot do everything you should do I Ah I God will whip you into a better temper before he has done with you.
692. The pious examples of others should be the looking-glasses by which we should dress ourselves. He is the best and wisest Christian, that writes in the fairest Scripture copy, that imitates those Christians that are most eminent in grace, and that * have been most exercised in closet prayer, and in the most secret duties of religion.
693. It is better to have a sore than a seared conscience.
694. "We have given thee of thine own," says David. So, Christian, do thou say, "Lord, the love with which I love thee, is thine own; and the faith by which I hang upon thee, is thine own; and the fear by which I fear before thee, is thine own; and the joy with which I rejoice before thee, is thine own; and the patience with which I wait upon thee, is thine own."
695. That man is doubtless upon the brink of ruin, whose worldly business eats up all his thoughts of God, of Christ, of heaven, of eternity, and of his soul; who can find time for anything, but none to meet with God in his closet.
696. God sees us in secret, therefore, let us seek his face in secret. Though heaven be God's palace," yet it is not his prison.
697. Promises must be prayed over in private; God loves to be sued upon his own bond, when he and his people are alone.
698. Love covereth all sin. Love's mouth is very large. Love hath two hands, and makes use of both to hide the defects of weak saints. O ye strong ones, Christ casts the mantle of his righteousness over your weakness, and will you not cast the mantle of love over your brother's infirmities?
699. A man may as truly say, the sea burns, or fire cools, as that free grace and mercy should make a soul truly gracious do wickedly.
700. God keeps an exact account of every penny that is laid out upon him and his, and that is laid out against him and his: and this in the last day men shall know and feel, though now they wink and will not understand.
Quotes 701-800
701. The sleeping of vengeance causes the overflowing of sin, and the overflowing of sin causes the awakening of vengeance. Abused mercy will certainly turn into fury.
702. Remember that God is no curious or critical observer of the plain expressions that fall from his poor children when they are in their closet duties; 'tis not a flow of words, or studied notions,
seraphical expressions, or elegant phrases in prayer, which take the ear, or delight the heart of God, or open the gate of glory, or bring down the best of blessings upon the soul; but uprightness, holiness, heavenliness, spirituality, and brokenness of heart—these are the things that make a conquest upon God, and turn most to the soul's account.
703. God's hearing of our prayers doth not depend upon sanctification, but upon Christ's intercession; not upon what we are in ourselves, but what we are in the Lord Jesus; both our persons and our prayers are acceptable in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:6).
704. God makes afflictions to be but inlets to the soul's more sweet and full enjoyment of his blessed self.
705. Our union and conjunction with Christ doth neither mingle persons nor unite substances, but it conjoineth our affections, and brings our wills into a league of amity with Christ.
706. Be careful that you do not perform closet duties merely to still your consciences; you must perform them out of conscience, but you must not perform them only to quiet conscience.
707. There is no tongue that can express, or heart that can conceive the horrid sins and miseries that pride hath ushered in among the children of men. All sin will go down with a proud heart. Great sins are no sins with such a soul; he makes nothing of iniquities at which the very heathen would blush.
708. Christ is the sun, and all the watches of our lives should be set by the dial of his motion.
709. Certainly no man's calling is a calling away from God or godliness. It never entered into the heart of God that our particular callings should ever drive out our general calling of Christianity. Those men are very ignorant or very profane who think themselves so closely tied up to follow their particular callings six days in the
week, that they must not intermeddle with any religious duties during those days. God, who is the Lord of time, has reserved some part of it to himself every day. Though the Jews were commanded to labor six days of the week, yet they were instructed also to offer up the morning and evening sacrifice daily,
710. God esteems men's deeds by their minds, and not their minds by their deeds.
711. Humility will free a man from perturbation and perplexities. That which will break a proud man's heart, will not so much as break a humble man's sleep.
712. Secrecy is no small advantage to the serious and lively carrying on of a private duty. Interruptions and disturbances from without, are oftentimes quench-coal to private prayer. The best Christians do but bungle when they meet with interruptions in their private devotions.
713. An idle life and a holy heart is a contradiction.
714. Some have stronger corruptions to subdue than others, and more violent temptations to withstand than others, and greater difficulties to wrestle with than others, and choicer mercies to implore than others, and higher and harder duties of religion to manage than others, and accordingly they are more strengthened in the inner man than others.
715. He who is active and agile, who works as well as wishes, who adds endeavors to his desires, will quickly be a cedar in grace.
716. Chrysostom compares the mystery of Christ, in regard of the wicked, to a written book, that the ignorant can neither read nor spell: he sees the cover, the leaves and the letters, but he understands not the meaning of what he sees. He compares the mystery of grace to an indited epistle, which an unskillful idiot receiving, cannot read; he knoweth it is paper and ink, but the sense he understands not. So
unsanctified persons, though they are never so learned, and though they may perceive the bark of the mystery of Christ, yet they understand not the mystery of grace, the inward sense of the Spirit in the blessed Scriptures. Though the devil be the greatest scholar in the world, and though he have more learning than all the men in the world, yet there are many thousand mysteries and secrets in the gospel of grace, and much that is understood by the disciple, that he knows not really, spiritually, feelingly, efficaciously, powerfully, thoroughly and savingly.
717. Paul, who learned his divinity among the angels, and had the Holy Ghost for his immediate teacher, tells us plainly, "That he knew but in part, oh then, how little a part of that part do we know!
718. Many wicked men take more pains to damn their souls and go to hell than thou dost to save thy soul and go to heaven.
719. Believer, be much in self-judging. There are none in the world who so much tremble to think evil of others, to speak evil of others, or to do evil to others, as those who make it their business to judge themselves. There are none who make such sweet constructions and charitable interpretations of men and things as those who are most careful to judge themselves. Ah, were Christians' hearts more taken up in examining and condemning themselves, they would not be so apt to judge and censure others, and to carry it sourly and bitterly toward those who differ from them.
720. It is but a very short time between grace and glory, between our title to the crown and our wearing the crown, between our right to the heavenly inheritance and our possession of it. The short storm will end in an everlasting calm. "Sorrow may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning."
721. "Sin lieth at the door." The Hebrew word signifies to lie down, or couch like some beast at the mouth of his cave as if he were asleep, but in reality is wakeful and watching, and ready to fly at all who
come near him. Oh, sirs, beware of sin; it sleeps a dog's sleep, that it may take the sinner at an advantage, and fly the more furiously in his face.
722. Example is the most powerful rhetoric. The highest and noblest example should be very quickening and provoking; and Christians have set before them the greatest, the noblest pattern of humility that was ever heard or read of (John 13:4).
723. It was a most sweet and divine saying of Bernard. "O saint, knowest thou not," saith he, "that thy husband, Christ, is bashful, and will not be familiar in company; retire thyself, therefore, by prayer and meditation into thy closet, or the fields, and there thou shalt have Christ's presence."
724. Tears are a kind of silent prayers, which, though they say nothing, yet obtain pardon; and though they plead not a man's cause, yet they obtain mercy at the hands of God. As we see in that great instance of Peter who, though he said nothing that we read of, yet weeping bitterly, he obtained mercy.
725. Though our private desires are ever so confused, though our private requests are ever so broken, and though our private groanings areever so much hidden from men, yet God eyes them, records them, and puts them upon the file of heaven, and will one day crown them with glorious answers and returns.
726. There is much of God in that soul that is, upon a gospel account, more careful and skillful to conceal the vices of weak saints than their virtues. Many in these days do justly incur the censure which that sour philosopher^ Diogenes, passed upon grammarians, that they were better acquainted with the evils of Ulysses than with their own.
727. Conscience is God's spy in the bosom, and as a scribe, a registrar, sits in the closet of our hearts, with pen in hand, and makes
a memorandum of all our secret ways and secret crimes, which are above the cognizance of men.
728. Ah, how do relapses lay men open to the greatest trials and worst temptations! How do they darken and cloud former assurances and evidences for heaven! They give Satan an advantage to triumph over Christ; they make the work of repentance more difficult; they make a man's life a burden, and they render death very terrible to the soul.
729. It is sad in these knowing times to think how few there are who know the right way of bringing down the power of any sin. Few look so high as a crucified Christ for power against their powerful sins. One soul sits down and complains, "such a lust haunts me; I will pray it down." Another says, "such a sin follows me, I will hear it down, or watch it down, or resolve it down and so a crucified Christ is not in all their thoughts. Not but that we are to hear, pray, watch and resolve against our sins; but that, above all, we should look to the acting of faith upon our glorious Redeemer.
730. There are many that go a round of duties, as mill horses go their round in a mill, and rest upon them when they have done, using the means as mediators, and so fall short of Christ and heaven at once. Open profaneness is the broad road that leads to hell, but closet duties rested in, is a sure though cleaner path.
731. Whatever faith touches it turns into gold, that is, into our good. If faith looks upon God, it says, This God is my God for ever and ever, he shall be my guide even unto death. When it looks upon the crown of righteousness, it says, "This crown is laid up for me." Faith is a sword to defend us, a guide to direct us, a staff to support us, a friend to comfort us, and a golden key to open heaven unto us. Faith, of all graces, is the most useful grace to the soul of man. Without faith it is impossible to please God.
732. No man knows what mercies a day may bring forth, what miseries, what good, or what evil, what afflictions, what temptations, what liberty, what bonds, what good success, or what bad success a day may bring forth; and, therefore, a man need every day be in his closet with God, that he may be prepared and fitted to entertain and improve all the occurrences, successes and emergencies that may attend him in the course of his life.
733. Much of this world's goods does usually cause great distraction, great vexation, and great condemnation at last to the possessors of them. If God give them in his wrath, and does not sanctify them in his love, they will at last be witnesses against a man, and millstones for ever to sink him in that day when God shall call men to an account, not for the use, but for the abuse of mercy.
734. Christian, one smile of Christ, one glimpse of Christ, one good word from Christ, one look of love from Christ in the days of trouble and darkness, will more revive and refresh the soul than all your former service and experiences. Christ is the crown of crowns, the glory of glories and the heaven of heavens.
735. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Every new man is two men; he has contrary principles in him, the flesh and the spirit. The spirit, the noble part, is willing; but the flesh, the ignoble part, is weak and wayward.
736. A soul that is rich in grace says, "Well, ordinances are not Christ, refreshings are not Christ, meltings are not Christ, enlargements are not Christ. They are sweet, but he is more sweet; they are very precious, but he is more precious and thus, those who are spiritually rich, do outreach all others.
737. A weak Christian should be very studious to observe how his heart stands Godward; for the man is as his heart is; if that be right with Christ, then all is well; therefore says Solomon, Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.
738. Repentance is a grace, and must have its daily operations, as well as other graces. A true penitent must go on from faith to faith, from strength to strength; he must never stand still or turn back. True repentance is a continued spring, where the waters of godly sorrow are always flowing. u My sin is ever before me."
739. God expects that we should be his remembrancers, and that we should pray over his promises. Gracious promises are God's bonds, and he loves to see his people put them in suit.
740. Joy and comfort are those dainties, those sweetmeats of heaven, that God doth not every day feast his people with; every day is not a wedding day, nor is every day a harvest day, nor every day a summer's day.
741. A humble soul, being once in a great conflict with Satan, said thus to him, "Satan, reason not with me, I am but weak; if thou hast anything to say, say it to Christ; he is my advocate, my strength and my Redeemer; he shall plead for me." There is no surer way of vanquishing the foul fiend than this.
742. All tears will not be clean wiped from our eyes till all sin be taken out of our hearts.
743. Clothe yourselves with the silk of piety, with the satin of sanctity, and with the purple of modesty, and God himself will be a suitor to you. Let not the ornaments upon your backs speak out the vanity of your hearts.
744. Christian, whenever thou comest off from holy services, sit down and look over the spots, blots and blemishes that cleave to the choicest of them. Thou canst not be proud of them then.
745. "I have known a good old man," says Bernard, "who, when he heard of any one that had committed some notorious offense, was wont to say within himself, He fell today, so may I tomorrow." Now, the reason why humble souls keep up in themselves a holy fear of
falling, is because that is the very best way to preserve them in their upward path. "Happy is the man that feareth always; but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief"
746. Cassianus reports that when a certain Christian was held captive by the infidels, and tormented by divers pains and ignominious taunts, being demanded, by way of scorn and reproach, "Tell us what Christ has done for you?" he answered, "He hath done what you see, that I am not moved at all the cruelties and contumelies you cast upon me."
747. As chickens find warmth by close sitting under the hen's wings, so the graces of the saints are enlivened, cherished and strengthened by the sweet secret influences which their souls fall under when they are in closet communion with their God.
748. Divine love is like a rod of myrtle, which, as Pliny reports, makes the traveler who carries it in his hand so lively and cheerful that he never faints or grows weary. Ah, friends, did you but love the Lord Jesus with strong love, you would never faint or grow weary of closet duties.
749. The Lord has often uncrowned himself to crown his people's graces, why, then, should not his people uncrown their graces to crown him? That which others attribute to your graces do you attribute to the God of grace. You must say: Though our graces are precious, yet Christ is more precious; though they are sweet, yet Christ is most sweet; though they are lovely, yet Christ is altogether lovely. Your graces are but Christ's hands by which he works; be you therefore careful that you do not more mind the workman's hands than the workman himself.
750. The conflict that is in the saints is in the same faculties; there is the judgment against the judgment, the mind against the mind, the will against the will, the affections against the affections; that is, the regenerate part wars against the unregenerate part in all the parts of
the soul: but in wicked men, the conflict is not in the same faculties, but between the conscience and the will.
751. Humility makes a man like an angel, but pride makes an angel a devil. Pride is worse than the devil, for the devil cannot hurt thee till pride hath possessed thee. Proud souls are Satan's apes, none imitate him to the life like these; for as face answers to face in a glass, so does a proud soul answer to Satan.
752. Fervency feathers the wings of prayers, and makes them fly to heaven. An arrow if it be drawn up but a little way flies not far; but if it be drawn up to the head it will fly far and pierce deeply. So fervent prayer flies as high as heaven and will certainly bring down blessings from 'thence.
753. If you cannot pray as you would, nor as you should, pray as well as you can.
754. It was a choice saying of Austin, "Every saint is God's temple, and he who carries his temple about him, may go to prayer when he pleaseth."
755. Spiritual sluggards are subject to the saddest strokes. Oh, the deadly sins, the deadly temptations, the deadly judgments that spiritual sluggards will unavoidably fall under. None such an enemy to himself, none such a friend to Satan, as the spiritual sluggard.
756. Laban's house was full of idols; great houses often are so. Jacob's tent was little, but the true worship of God was in it. 'Tis infinitely better to live in Jacob's tent than in Laban's house.
757. Till we have sinned Satan is a parasite; when we have sinned he is a tyrant
758. Private prayer is so far from being an hindrance to a man's business, that it is the way of ways to bring down a blessing from heaven upon it; as the first fruits that God's people gave to him,
brought down a blessing upon all the rest. Prayer and provender never hinder a journey.
759. "Lord," a true believer will say, "do but keep down my sins, and keep up my heart in a way of honoring thee under all my troubles, and then my troubles will be no troubles, my afflictions will be no afflictions. Though my burdens be doubled, and my troubles be multiplied, yet do but help me to honor thee by believing in thee, by waiting on thee, and by submitting to thee, and I shall sing care away; I shall say, it is enough."
760. Weak Christians are like children; they look for a great reward for a little work. Let their will be but crossed a little by servants, children, friends, or let them but suffer a little in their names or estates, and presently you will hear them sighing out, "No sorrow like my sorrow; no loss like my loss; no cross like my cross instead of remembering that an eye fixed upon encouragements, makes heavy afflictions light, long afflictions short, and bitter afflictions sweet.
761. A Christian should trade with God upon the credit of Christ. "O Lord," he should say, "I need power against such and such sins, give it me upon the credit of Christ's blood. I need strength for such and such services, give it me upon the credit of Christ's word. I need such and such mercies for the cheering, refreshing, quickening, and strengthening of me; give them into my bosom upon the credit of Christ's intercession."
762. Naturalists report of the Chelidonian stone, that it will retain its virtue no longer than it is enclosed in gold. So hypocrites will keep up their duties no longer than they are fed and encouraged by the praises of men.
763. Zeal, ordered by wisdom, feeds upon the faults of offenders, not on their persons. It spends itself and its greatest heat principally upon those things which concern a man's self.
764. A humble soul can never be good enough; it never can pray enough, or hear enough, or mourn enough, or believe enough, or love enough, or fear enough, or joy enough, or repent enough, or loathe sin enough, or be humble enough.
765. Weak Christians are usually carried out much after the poor low things of this world. Their hearts should be only in heaven, and yet they strive for earth as if there were no heaven, or as if earth were better; all which does clearly evidence that their graces are very weak, and their corruptions very strong. Men who have little of the "upper springs" within are carried out much after the springs below.
766. There is no overcoming of God but in his own strength. Jacob did more by his royal faith than he did by his noble hands; more by weeping than he did by wrestling, and more by praying than he did by all his bodily strivings.
767. Wise men give their choicest and richest gifts in secret; and so doth Christ give his loved ones the best when they are all alone. But as for such as cannot spare time to seek God in secret, they sufficiently manifest that they have little friendship or fellowship with Him to whom they so seldom come.
768. Believer, the more worldly business lies upon thy hand, the more need thou hast to keep close to thy closet. Much business lays a man open to many sins, many snares, and many temptations.
767. When God hears our prayers, 'tis neither for our own sakes, nor yet for our prayer's sake; but it is for his own sake, and his glory's sake, and his promise sake.
768. Happy is that soul, and to be equaled with angels, who is willing to suffer, if it were possible, as great things for Christ as Christ hath suffered for him.
769. He who casts off private prayer under any pretense whatsoever, casts off the authority and dominion of God, and this may be as
much as a man's life and soul are worth.
770. Believer, you cannot have too frequent communion with God, or too frequent intercourse with Jesus. You cannot have your heart too frequently filled with joy unspeakable, and full of glory, and with that peace which passes understanding. You cannot have heaven too often brought down into your hearts, or your hearts too often carried up to heaven, and therefore you cannot be too frequent in closet prayer.
771. Pride, passion, and other vices, in these days go armed. Touch them never so gently, yet, like the nettle, they will sting you; and if you deal with them roundly, roughly, and cuttingly, they will turn and taunt you, as the Hebrew did to Moses, "Who made thee a judge over us?"
772. There is wisdom required to present Christ freely to souls, in opposition to all unrighteousness, and to all unworthiness in man. There is wisdom required to suit things to the capacities and conditions of poor souls, to make dark things plain, and hard things easy. Ministers must not be like him in the emblem, who gave straw to the dogs, and a bone to the ass, but they must suit all their discourses to the conditions and capacities of poor creatures, or else all will be lost, time lost, pains lost, God lost, heaven lost, and souls lost forever.
773. This age is full of monsters who envy every light that outshines their own, and who throw dirt upon the graces and excellencies of others, that themselves only may be honored.
774. Prayer is nothing but the breathing that out before the Lord, that was first breathed into us by the Spirit of the Lord.
775. The children of God have always cause to exercise faith and hope on him in their darkest condition, though they have not always actual joy and consolation; the Comforter always abides with the saints, though he doth not always comfort them.
776. As every sacrifice was to be seasoned with salt, so every mercy is to be sanctified by prayer. As gold sometimes is laid, not only on cloth and silk, but also upon silver, so prayer is that golden duty that must be laid, not only upon all our natural and civil actions, as eating, drinking, buying, and selling, but also upon all our silver duties, upon all our most religious and spiritual performances.
777. God will forever keep house with the humble soul; when once they meet, they never part. There is no such way to be rich, as to be poor and low in our own eyes. This is the way to enjoy His company in whom all treasures are.
778. Those years, months, weeks, days, and hours, that are not filled up with God, with Christ, with grace, and with duty, will certainly be filled up with vanity and folly. The neglect of one day, of one duty, of one hour, would undo us, if we had not an Advocate with the Father.
779. The poorest servant in a family hath a soul more precious than heaven and earth; and the greatest work that lies upon his head in this world, is to look to the eternal safety and security of that treasure, for if that be safe, all is safe, if that be well, all is well, but if that be lost, all is lost.
780. Weak Christians are apt to sit down troubled and disheartened by the sin within. But they should remember, to strengthen them against all discouragements, that their persons stand before God clothed with the righteousness of their Saviour, and so God owns them, and looks upon them with great delight.
781. Parents who have but some drops of that love and tender affection which is in God to his people, yet accept of a very little service from their weak children, and will not "Our Father?" In time of strength God looks for much, but in the time of weakness God will bear much, and overlook much, and accept of a little, yea, of a very little. Noah's sacrifice could not be great, yet it was greatly accepted by God. In the time of the law God accepted a handful of meal for a
sacrifice, and a grip of goat's hair for an oblation; and, certainly, he has lost none of his affection to poor souls since the time of the Gospel.
782. Cold prayers bespeak a denial, but fervent supplications offer a sacred violence to the kingdom of heaven. Lazy prayers never procure noble answers. Lazy beggars may starve for all their begging.
783. Some there are who sin away shame, instead of being ashamed of sin.
784. The more infirmities and weaknesses that hang upon us the more cause have we to keep close and constant to our closet duties. If grace be weak, the omission of private prayer will make it weaker. If corruptions are strong, the neglect of private prayer will make them stronger. The more the remedy is neglected, the more the disease is strengthened.
785. Pride is like certain flies, which alight especially upon the fairest wheat and the loveliest roses. A proud cardinal, in Luther's time, said, "A reformation is indeed needful and to be desired, but that Luther, a rascally friar, should be the man to do it, is intolerable."
786. He that hath no heart to pray for a mercy he needs, hath no ground to believe that God will ever give him that mercy. There is no receiving without asking, no finding without seeking, no opening without knocking.
787. You had better be a poor man and a rich Christian, than a rich man and a poor Christian. You had better do anything, bear anything, and be anything rather than be a dwarf in grace.
788. God, saith Calvin, often recompenses the shadows and seeming appearances of virtue, to show the complacency he takes in the ample rewards that he hath reserved for true and sincere piety.
789. Full vessels will bear many a knock, many a stroke, and yet make no noise; so Christians, who are full of Christ and full of the Spirit, will bear many a blow, many a stroke without murmuring.
790. Every Christian has three advocates pleading for him. The first is that divine love which is in the bosom of the Father, the second is the Lord Jesus, who is at the right hand of the Father, and the third is the Holy Spirit, who is one with the Father.
791. Christians, fix yourselves under the ministry of one who gives the Father his due, the Son his due, and the Spirit his due; who makes it his business to open the treasures and the riches both of the one and the other, and to declare to you the whole will of God; for many there are who withhold the word in unrighteousness, and who will only acquaint you with some parts of the will of God, keeping you ignorant of the rest, whose condemnation will be great as well as just.
792. Sinful omissions lead to sinful commissions.
793. 'Twas an excellent saying of Ambrose, "If thou canst not hide thyself from the sun, which is God's minister of light, how impossible will it be to hide thyself from him whose eyes are ten thousand times brighter than the sun! Though a sinner may baffle his conscience, yet he cannot baffle the eye of God's omnisciency.
794. "Pride," saith Hugo, "was born in heaven, but forgetting by what way she fell therefrom, she could never find her way thither again."
795. The gospel drops nothing but marrow and fatness, love and sweetness; and therefore God looks in these days that men should grow up to a greater height of holiness, heavenliness and spirituality than what they attained to in those dark days wherein the sun shone but dimly.
796. A Christian's whole life should be a visible representation of Christ. The heathens had this notion among them, as Lactantius
reports, that the way to honor their gods was to be like them. Sure I am that the best way of honoring Christ is to be like him (1 John 2:6) : "He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also to walk even as he walked." Oh, that this blessed Scripture might always lie warm upon our hearts.
797. Although Christians do not share in the honors, profits, pleasures and advantages of the world; yet this should be their joy and crown, that Christ and their souls are sharers in those things that are most eminent and excellent, most precious and glorious; and the serious remembrance hereof should bear up their heads, hopes and hearts above all the troubles, temptations and afflictions that come upon them in this world.
798. That Christian, or that minister who, in private prayer, lies most at the feet of Jesus, shall certainly understand most of the mind of Christ in the gospel, and he shall have most of heaven and the things of his own peace brought down into his heart.
799. No man can make sure or happy work in prayer but he who makes heart work of it. When the soul is separated from the body, the man is dead; and so when the heart is separated from the lip in prayer, the prayer is dead.
800. Believer, consider this: living up to your graces carries with it the greatest evidence of the truth of grace. That man who lives not up to his grace, let him be strong or weak, wants one of the best and clearest demonstrations that can be to evidence the truth of his grace. If you would be sure that that little love, that little faith, that little zeal you have is true, then live up to that love, live up to that faith, live up to that zeal that you have, and this will be evidence beyond all contradiction.
Quotes 801-902
801. The heart is the spring and fountain of all natural and spiritual actions; it is the primum mobile, the great wheel that sets other wheels going; therefore keep it with all custody and caution, or else bid farewell to all true joy, peace and comfort.
802. Those shall be sure to fall short of divine acceptance, and of a glorious recompense, who are not able to look above the praises of men.
803. There is great truth in that old saying, "That duties are esteemed not by their Acts but by their ends." As the shining sun puts out the fire, so the glory of God must consume all other ends. Two things make a good Christian—good actions and good aims. And though a good aim doth not make a bad action good, as with Uzzah, yet a bad aim makes a good action bad, as in Jehu's case, whose justice was approved, but his policy punished. God writes "Nothing" on all those services wherein men's ends are not right.
804. Luther, in his preaching, met with every man's temptation, and being once asked how he could do so, answered, "Mine own manifold temptations and experiences are the cause thereof."
805. If the prayers of God's children are so faint that they cannot reach up as high as heaven, then God will bow the heavens and come down to their prayers.
806. When Satan prevails over the saints, he says, "Look, O Christ, are these the price of thy blood? Are these the objects of thy love? Are these the delight of thy soul? What, are these thy jewels? Are these the apple of thine eye? Are these thy pleasant portion? Why, lo, how I lead them! Lo, how I triumph over them! They seem rather to be mine than thine." Ah, Christians, resist as for life, that Satan may never have occasion thus to insult and triumph over Christ.
807. Every mercy that is gathered by the hand of private prayer is as sweet as the rose of Sharon; but those blessings which are received without either supplication or thanksgiving, lack the precious
perfume of a Saviour's love, and leave no fragrance in the ungrateful heart.
808. There is not a sin that a saint commits but Satan would trumpet it out to the world if God would give him leave.
809. It is sad to consider how few professors in these days have attained the right way of mortifying sin. They usually go out against their sins in the strength of their own purposes, prayers and resolutions; and scarcely look so high as a crucified Christ. They mind not the exercise of their faith upon Christ, and therefore it is a righteous thing with him that they should he carried away captive by their sins. Oh, if men would believe in Christ more, sin would die more.
810. When the house is on fire, if a man should only pray or cry, he may be burnt for all that; therefore he must be active and stirring; he must run from place to place and call out for help, and bestir himself as for life in the use of all means whereby the fire may be quenched. So grace must be acted on; it is not all a man's praying and crying that will profit him or better him; grace must be exercised, or all will be lost —prayers lost, tears lost, time lost, strength lost, soul lost.
811. The world gives a little, that it may give no more; but Christ gives "that he may give." He gives a little grace, that he may give grace upon grace. He gives a little comfort, that he may give fullness of joy. He gives some sips, that he may give full draughts. He gives pence, that he may give pounds; and he gives pounds, that he may give hundreds.
812. When God crowns us, he doth but crown his own gifts in us; and when we give God the glory of all we do, we do but give him that which is due unto his name, for it is he, and he alone, that works all our works in us and for us.
813. The highest honor and glory that earthly princes can put upon their subjects is to communicate to them their greatest secrets. Now
this high honor and glory the King of kings hath put upon his people: "For his secrets are with them that fear him, and he will show them his covenant."
814. "We, then, that are strong," says the apostle, "ought to bear the infirmities of the weak." Mark he does not say the enormities, but the infirmities; he does not say the wickedness, but the weakness. The Lord bears with the weakness of his children. Peter is weak, and sinful through weakness; but the Lord Jesus carries it tenderly and lovingly toward him still. Thomas is very weak: "I will not believe," says he, "except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side." Now this Christ bears with much patience and sweetness: "Then said he to Thomas, reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side; and be not faithless, but believing" (John xk. 27). The Lord Jesus does, as it were, open his wounds afresh; he overlooks his weakness. "Well," says he, "seeing it is so, that thou wilt not believe, I will rather bleed afresh than that thou shouldest die in thy unbelief." Oh, how compassionate is our precious Lord.
815. Oh, weak and timid Christian, thou shouldst be greatly thankful for the little grace thou hast. Does free grace knock at thy door when it passes by the doors of thousands? Does it cast a pearl of price into thy bosom when others are lying in their blood forever? And wilt thou not be thankful? Remember, the least measure of grace is worth more than a thousand worlds, yea, worth more than heaven itself!
816. Much faith will yield unto us here our heaven, but any faith, if true, will yield us heaven hereafter.
817. Some of the learned think that Christ intercedes only by virtue of his merits; others, that it is done only by his speech. I think it may be done both ways, because Christ hath a tongue and body glorified in heaven; and is it likely that that tongue which pleaded so much for us on earth, should be altogether silent on our behalf when in heaven?
818. 'Tis thy duty to perform closet duties, but it is thy sin to rely on them, or to put confidence in them; do them thou must, but glory in them thou must not. He who rests in his closet duties, makes a Saviour of them. Let them lead thee to Jesus, and leave thee more in communion with him, and in dependence upon him, and then thrice happy shalt thou be. Let thy closet prayers, tears, and meltings, be a star to guide thee to Jesus, a Jacob's ladder by which thou mayest ascend into the bosom of eternal love, and then thou art safe for ever.
819. Of all gifts, Christ is the sweetest gift. As the tree in Exodus 15:25, "sweetened the bitter waters," so this gift, the Lord Jesus, of whom that tree was a type, sweetens all other gifts that are bestowed upon the sons of men. He turns every bitter into sweet, and makes every sweet more sweet.
820. Many preachers in our days are like Heraclitus, who was called the dark doctor. They affect sublime notions, obscure expressions, and uncouth phrases, making plain truths difficult, and easy truths hard. "They darken counsel with words without knowledge." Studied expressions and high notions in a sermon, are like Ashael's carcass in the way, that did only stop men, and make them gaze, but did no ways profit or edify them. It is better to present truth in her native plainness than to hang her ears with counterfeit pearls.
821. It is more a weakeness than a virtue in strong Christians, when a weak saint is fallen, to aggravate his fall to the uttermost, and to present his sins in such a dreadful dress as shall amaze him. He who shall lay the same strength to the rubbing of an earthen dish, as he does to the rubbing of a pewter-platter, instead of cleaning it will surely break it to pieces. The application is easy.
822. Absolute perfection is peculiar to the triumphant state of God's elect in heaven; that is the only privileged place where no unclean thing can enter; the only place where sin and Satan and hell never obtained a footing. Such as dream of an absolute perfection in this life confound and jumble heaven and earth together. Absolute
perfection is not a step short of heaven, 'tis heaven this side heaven; and they who would obtain it must step to heaven before they have it.
823. There is no receiving without asking; no finding without seeking; no opening without knocking. The threefold promise annexed to the threefold precept should encourage all Christians to be instant, fervent, and constant in prayer. (Matthew 7:7.)
824. A man's most glorious actions will at last be found to be but glorious sins, if he hath made himself and not the glory of God, the end of those actions.
825. Grace is compared to the sweetest things, to sweet spices, and to wine and milk. Grace is a beam of that Sun of righteousness, the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace is a sweet flower of Paradise, a spark of glory. It is cherished and maintained by that sweet word, which is sweeter than honey or the honeycomb, and by sweet union and communion with the Father and the Son. It is exercised about the sweetest objects —God, Christ, the promises, and future glory; and it sweetens all our services and duties.
826. Secret sins are in some respects more dangerous than open sins. The more inward and secret the disease is, the more the man is in danger of losing his life. There are no fevers so dangerous as those that prey upon the spirits and inward parts: so there are no sins so pernicious to the souls of men as those that are most inward and secret. Secret sins often reign in the souls of men most powerfully when they are least apparent.
827. Jerome tells us of one Didymus, a godly preacher, who was blind, and Alexander a pious man, coming to him, asked him whether he was not sore troubled and afflicted for want of his sight? "Oh, yes" said Didymus, "it is a great grief and trial to me." Then Alexander chide him, saying, "Has God given you the excellency of an angel, and an apostle, and are you troubled for that which rats, mice, and brute beasts have?"
828. Tears are not always mutes. ''Cry aloud, (saith one) not with thy tongue, but with thine eyes; not with thy words, but with thy tears; for such is the prayer which maketh the most forcible entry into the ears of the great God of heaven." Penitent tears are undeniable ambassadors, they never return from the throne of grace without a gracious answer.
829. If a man be not interested in Christ, he may perish with "Our Father" in his mouth.
830. When the world frowns most, then generally God smiles most; when the world puts its iron chains upon the saints' legs, then God puts his golden chains about their necks; when the world puts a bitter cup into one hand, then the Lord puts a cup of consolation into the other; when the world cries out "Crucify them, crucify them," then commonly they hear that voice from heaven, "These are my beloved ones, in whom I am well pleased."
831. Believer, closet prayer will be found to be but a lifeless, comfortless thing, if you do not enjoy communion with God in it. That should be the very soul of all your closet duties, therefore press after it, as for life; when you go into your closet banish everything that can hinder your enjoyment of Christ.
832. True grace makes all new, the inside new, and the outside new; "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature."
833. Want of private duties is the great reason why the hearts of many are so dead and dull, so formal and carnal, so barren and unfruitful under public ordinances. Oh, that Christians would seriously lay this to heart! Certainly that man's heart is best in public duties, who is most frequent in private exercises; they make most earnings in public ordinances, who are most conscientiously exercised in closet communings.
834. Oh, the horrid drudgery that is in the ways of sin, Satan, and the world. The worst day in Christ's service is better than the best day, if
I may so speak in sin or Satan's service. Satan will pay the sinner home at last with the loss of God, Christ, heaven, and his soul forever.
835. God loves that his people should put his bonds, (his promises) in suit; and he who does so shall find God near him though friends should leave him and the world be in arms against him.
836. Troubled Christian, bear up bravely, for whatever hardships thou meetest with in the ways of God, shall only reach thy outward man; and under all these trials thou mayest have as high and sweet communion with him as if thou hadst never known what hardships meant.
837. There is nothing that so clearly and so fully speaks out the sincerity and spiritual ingenuousness of a Christian as thankfulness does. Thanksgiving is a self-denying grace; it is the making ourselves a footstool, that God may be lifted up upon his throne, and ride in a holy triumph over all. Self-love, flesh and blood, and many low and carnal considerations may induce men to pray, and hear, and talk, but thanksgiving is the free-will offering of a child.'
838. It was the saying of an old saint, that he was more afraid of his duties than of his sins; for the one made him proud, the other made him always humble.
839. The Lord Jesus gives the best gifts to his own people, that he may fence and strengthen them against the worst temptations. There are no men on earth lie so open to temptation as the saints. The best men have always been the most tempted. The more excellent any man is in grace and holiness, the more shall that man be followed with temptations, as you may see in David, who was tempted by Satan to murder the people; and Job to curse God and die; and Peter to deny Christ; and Paul, who was sorely buffeted; yea, and Christ himself was most grievously assaulted. But the Lord knows well enough, that Satan has a cruel, envious, and malicious eye upon his
beloved ones, and therefore he is pleased, by his precious gifts, to strengthen them against his assaults.
840. Heart and tongue must go together; word and work, lip and life, prayer and practice must echo to one another, or else thy prayers and thy soul will be lost together.
841. An early turning to the Lord will prevent many temptations to despair; many temptations to neglect the means openly, to despise the means secretly; many temptations about the being of God, the goodness, faithfulness, truth and justice of God. Temptations to question all that God has said, and all that Christ has suffered, arise many times from men's delaying and putting off God to the last; all which, with many others, are prevented by seeking and serving the Lord in the morning and springtime of youth.
842. The curse of unsatisfiableness lies upon the creature. Honors cannot satisfy the ambitious man, nor riches the covetous man, nor pleasures the voluptuous .man. Man cannot take off the weariness of one pleasure by another, for after a few evaporated minutes are spent in pleasure, the body presently fails the mind, and the mind the desire, and the desire the satisfaction, and all the man.
843. The two poles could sooner meet, than the love of Christ and the love of the world.
844. Sin is the soul's sickness, and nothing prejudices growth more than sickness. Christians, if ever you would be trees, having not only the leaves of honor but the fruits of righteousness, then take heed of sin, abhor it more than hell, and fly from it as from your deadliest enemy.
845. Ambrose was wont to say, "I am never less alone than when I am all alone; for then I can enjoy the presence of my God most freely, fully, and sweetly, without interruption."
846. "Take heed of crying, tomorrow, tomorrow," says Luther, "for a man lives forty years before he knows himself to be a fool, and by the time he sees his folly, his life is finished; so men die before they begin to live."
847. It was a notable saying of Luther, "The church converteth the whole world by blood and prayer." Divers have been won to Christ by beholding the gracious carriage of Christians under reproaches for their Master's sake. Reproach is a royal diadem, it is Christ's livery; therefore, Christian, count it your highest ambition in the world to wear this livery for his sake, who once wore a crown of thorns for your sake.
848. It is a great folly, it is double iniquity, for a Christian to be troubled for the want of those things which God ordinarily bestows upon the worst of men. Oh, the mercies that a Christian has in hand, in hope, and in the promises, are so many, so precious, and so glorious, that they should bear up his head and heart from fainting and sinking under all outward wants.
849. Closet duty speaks out most sincerity. He prays with a witness who prays without a witness.
850. Believer, be not impatient or forward when God shall take away some lesser mercies from you. He has given you the best and greatest gifts that your souls can beg, or himself will give, and will you be sighing and mourning when he shall come to take away some lesser favor ? Verily, this is the way to provoke God to strip thee naked of thy choicest ornaments, and to put thee in chains, or else to turn thee grazing among the beasts of the fields, as he did Nebuchadnezzar.
851. It is the greatest measure of grace that ushers in the greatest measure of joy and comfort into a believing heart.
852. "Lust having conceived, it bringeth forth sin." Sin hath its conception, and that is delight; and then its formation, and that is
design ; and then its birth, and that is action; and then its growth, and that is custom; and then its end, and that is damnation.
853. It were ten thousand times better that we had never been born into the world than that we should go unrenewed out of the world.
854. It was a saying of Bede, "that he who comes not willingly to church, shall one day go unwillingly to hell."
855. All who grow rich in grace, grow rich gradually. The sun ascends by degrees; children, plants and trees grow by degrees; so do saints in spiritual things. As to temporals, it is true that by the death of a friend, or this and that providence, men may become rich on a sudden; but no soul that is rich in grace attains this treasure suddenly. "The path of the just is as the shining light, which shineth more and more unto the perfect day."
856. God hears no more than the heart speaks; and if the heart be dumb, God will certainly be deaf.
857. God, who hath done singular things for our good, may indeed justly expect that we should do singular things for his glory.
858. We read in Plutarch of a young maid exposed for sale in the market, who, when a chapman asked her, "Wilt thou be faithful if I buy thee?" answered, "Aye, that I will, though you do not buy me." So also must we be found faithful, even though we meet with no encouragement in the work which our Father has given us to do.
859. Experience in religion is beyond notions and expressions. A sanctified heart is better than a silver tongue.
860. A young man, very much given up to pleasures, standing by St. Ambrose and seeing his excellent death, turned to other young men by him, and said, "Oh I that I might live with you and die with him!"
861. The gifts of the world are fading; a false oath, a spark of fire, a storm at sea, a treacherous friend brings all to nothing in a moment. But the gifts that Christ gives are permanent and lasting. The grace he gives is called an immortal seed; and the glory he gives is called everlasting glory.
862. What though, O precious soul, thy language be clipped and broken? What though thou canst not talk so fluently and so eloquently for Christ as others? What though thy hand be so weak that thou-canst not do so much for Christ as others, nor do so well for Christ as others? Yet the Lord, seeing thy heart sincere, will reward thee. Thou shalt have an everlasting rest for a little labor, and a great reward for a little work.
863. A little of this world's goods will serve a man who is strong in grace; much, will not serve a man who is weak in grace; nothing will serve a man who is void of grace.
864. "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any man hear my voice and open the door, let him be never so guilty, never so filthy, never so unworthy, I will come in and sup with him, and he with me." Lord, at whose door dost thou stand knocking? Is it at the rich man's door, or at the righteous man's door, or at the qualified and prepared man's door?. "No," says Christ, "it is at none of these doors." At whose then, O blessed Lord? At the lukewarm Laodicean's door; at their door who are neither hot nor cold, who are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind and naked? "These," says Christ, "are the worst of the worst, yet if any of them shall open the door, I will come in and sup with him, and he with me." Ah, poor souls, Christ is willing to bestow the best gifts upon the worst sinners.
865. If any prayer be a duty, then secret prayer must be superlatively so, for it prepares and fits the soul for all other supplication.
866. If a tree do not bud, blossom and bring forth fruit in the spring, it generally is dead all the year after; so if in the spring and morning
of your days you do not bring forth fruit to God, it is a hundred to one that you bring forth fruit to him when the evil days of old age shall overtake you, wherein you shall say you have no pleasure; for, as the son of Sirach observes, u If thou hast gathered nothing in thy youth, what canst thou find in thine old age?"
867. Cold prayers are like arrows without heads, swords without edges, birds without wings;' they pierce not, they cut not, they fly not up to heaven. Those prayers that have no heavenly fire in them always freeze before they reach as high as heaven; but fervent prayer is very prevalent with God.
868. Many take unfit seasons for private prayer, which more obstruct the importunity of the soul in prayer than do all the suggestions and importunities of Satan.
869. Rashness will admit of nought for reason, but what unreasonable self shall dictate for reason.
870. As sloth seldom brings actions to a good birth, so rashness snakes them always abortive ere well formed.
871. "Continuing instant in prayer." The Greek is a metaphor taken from hunting dogs that never give over the game till they have got their prey. A Christian must not only pray, but hold on in prayer, till he has obtained the heavenly prize. We are daily in want, and therefore we had need be daily praying
872. Ah, how many threadbare souls are to be found under silken cloaks and gowns! How often are worldly riches like executioners! they hide men's faces with a covering that they may not see their own end, and then they hang them. Yes, and if they do not hang you, they will shortly leave you, for they "make themselves wings and flee away."
873. By nature we are as full of hard thoughts of God as hell is full of sin; and where the heart is not mightily overawed by the Spirit of
God, and overpowered by the grace of God, there all manner of dark and dismal apprehensions of him abound; for Satan knows very well that our corrupt natures are made up of sad and evil thoughts of God, and therefore he uses all his power and craft to stir us up to sin against him. That Christian is a very great stranger to his own heart who is not able to say from experience, that it is one of the highest and hardest works in this world to keep up good and gracious thoughts of God in a suffering condition, or under dark and dismal dispensations.
874. When we consider that sin has slain our Lord Jesus Christ, 0 how should the thought provoke our hearts to be revenged on sin, for having murdered the Lord of glory, and done more mischief than all the devils in hell could have done.
875. All the riches of Christ are unsearchable riches. A saint, with all the light that he has from the Spirit of Christ, is not able to search to the bottom of these treasures; nay, suppose that all the perfections of angels and saints in a glorified estate should meet in one noble breast, yet all those perfections could not enable that glorious creature to fathom the depths of Christ's unsearchable riches. And when believers come to heaven, when they shall see God face to face, shall know as they are known, and shall be filled with the fullness of God, even then they will sweetly sing this, song: Oh, the height, the depth, the length, the breadth of the unsearchable riches of our Lord Jesus Christi
876. He who will attend closet prayer without distraction or disturbance, must not slip out of the world into his closet, but he must first slip into his closet before he be compassed about with a crowd of worldly employments.
877. A good name is always better than a great name, and a name in heaven is infinitely better than a thousand names on earth; and the way to both of these, is to be much with God in secret.
878. As we are never out of the reach of God's hand, so we are never out of the view of God's eye. When we are in the darkest place God hath windows in our breasts, and observes all the secret actings of our inner man. M Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him, saith the Lord ?" (Proverbs, 15:3.)
879. God loves to see a poor Christian shut his closet door, and then open his bosom and pour out his soul before him.
880. Hatred stirreth up strife, but love covereth all sins. Love's mantle is very large. Tale-bearers and tale-hearers are alike abominable. Heaven is too holy a place for them.
881. When grace is improved and exercised, gracious services are easily performed. The more our natural strength is exercised and improved, with the more ease and pleasure are all physical duties discharged; so, the more grace is acted and exercised, with the more profit and delight all Christian services are performed. Such souls find wages in their very work; they find that not only for keeping, but also in keeping of his commandments there is great reward.
882. Satan labors might and main to keep your graces low and poor. You never hurt him less, you never honor Christ less, you never mind* your work less than when grace is weak and low. This he knows, and therefore he labors to keep your graces down.
883. A man never begins to fall in love with Christ till he begins to fall out with his sins. Till sin and the soul be two, Christ and the soul cannot be one.